A good goal for weight loss is approximately 3% of your remaining weight loss goal; that means the more you lose, the less you will be able to lose at a time! I'm a little surprised at your range being 1200-1550 with so much left to lose; By my calculations, you have 60 lbs to go, which would put you at 1.5-1.8 lbs per week. How much are you exercising? Have you updated your fitness goals with this exercise? How much are you actually eating per week?

As you lose more, you will have to adjust your goals; When you're within 30 lbs, you'll be aiming for 1 lb per week. Think of it like a curve. :)

And remember that in the end, your body is not a calculator; even if all the numbers add up, sometimes the results don't, and you have to play with things to make it work right. Some people lose weight more easily than others, and the kinds of foods you eat can make a difference, too. All calories are not, in fact, created equal!

Mel, Since you asked about the math, let me assume you like science and numbers. Here is more than you ever wanted to know about calories. First thing you need to know is calories are a measurement of HEAT not (mass) weight.

It's not just about the math, but also about how the machine (your body) works and uses it's fuel (food). Your body has what is called a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is the amount of energy (counted as calories) your body uses daily to survive if you stayed in bed all day. Any movement increases this BMR and this is where your daily calorie range comes from.

You also need to know from where your body draws it's energy. The body draws energy from fat reserves in the liver, muscle tissue and fat tissue. Next you need to know how the body uses this energy. It combines fats drawn from these reserve areas with carbohydrates in your diet and converts that compound into heat (calories).

One pound = 3500 calories is not exactly right. The body converts 1 pound of energy reserves stored in the body as fats into 3500 calories of heat. It does this through BMR combined with any kind of movement, i.e. exercise.

The idea is to increase movement to create more heat than is absorbed by the body through the intake of food. But the body needs a certain about of food in the form of carbohydrates to combine with the energy stores in order to metabolize them. This is why cutting calories from your diet below a certain level doesn't work, because you are reducing the amount of energy required to metabolize fat reserves.

For every 3,500 calorie deficit you lose a pound, so if you're creating a calorie deficit of 8350 in one week, that's more than two pounds' worth; at a calorie deficit of 6250, that's a little less than 2 pounds. So technically yes, you'd be in the ballpark for about a 2 lb per week weight loss, or slightly more.

However, that's a pretty aggressive goal, and 1200 calories per day, for me, would be impossible on a regular basis. You shouldn't go below that, as it's difficult to get enough daily nutrients in 1200 calories. Also, paradoxically, if you go too low, your weight loss slows, even though on paper you should be losing. My own personal experience has been that when I eat around 1300 calories a day, weightloss slows to a crawl. When I exercise a lot and eat around 1600 calories a day, I lose weight.

When I initially signed up on Sparkpeople, I entered in all of my information and my calorie & exercise program were automatically set. I have been following the suggested calorie intake and fitness suggestions but I just want to make sure that I understand everything. If I wanted to maintain my weight (which I dont!!!) I would need to consume 2200 calories a day. However, I want to lose aprox. 2 lbs per week so here is how I figure the math, if I am wrong or anyone has suggestions please let me know. Thanks!

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